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With Smith and Higgins out of consideration, here is my ideal scenario:
- Cut/trade Bosa, Pipkins, Edwards
- Extend Slater
- Re-sign Mack, Ford, Tart, Dobbins, Bozeman, Dye, Heinicke, Scott, Fisk, Smartt, Sarell, Jefferson, Niemann, Stick
- Final 53 man roster spots are not guaranteedd for Fisk, Smartt, Sarell, Jefferson, or Niemann; they have to battle for those spots
- Jefferson probably would not make the initial 53 man roster to avoid guaranteeing his salary for the season, but would be re-signed after being waived
- Stick is planned for the practice squad, not the final 53
- Sign C Kelly, RG Fries, OL Mekari, WR Adams (assuming he is cut), and a veteran starting outside CB (could be Fulton, but there are quite a few candidates)
That puts them going into the draft in need of (in rough priority order):
- Edge – 1st round pick
- TE – a 1a/1b to pair with Dissly; rounds 2-4
- IDL – ideally a strong pass rusher; rounds 2-4
- RB – a 1a/1b to pair with Dobbins; rounds 2-4
- Depth at LB, DB, WR, maybe OL
It is very achievable to fill all of those needs in this draft and very achievable to do all of this with cap room to spare.
That could lead to this roster breakdown:
- Offense (26):
- QB (2) – Herbert, Heinicke (and Stick on practice squad)
- RB (4) – Dobbins, TBD rookie, Vidal, Haskins
- FB (1) – Matlock (ugh)
- WR (6) – Adams, McConkey, Johnston, Rice, TBD rookie, Davis
- TE (4) – Dissly, TBD rookie, Fisk, Smartt
- OL (9) – LT Slater, LG Mekari/Johnson, C Kelly, RG Fries, RT Alt, G Mekari/Johnson, C Bozeman, OL Salyer, OT Sarell/TBD rookie
- Defense (24):
- Edge (4) – Mack, TBD rookie, Tuli, Dupree
- IDL (5) – Ford, Tart, TBD rookie, Ogbonnia, Eboigbe
- LB (5) – Henley, Colson, Dye, Niemann/TBD rookie, TBD rookie
- CB (6) – TBD veteran free agent, Still, Hart, Leonard, Taylor, TBD rookie
- S (4) – James, Gilman, Molden, Jefferson
- Special Teams (3):
- PK (1) – Dicker
- P (1) – Scott
- LS (1) – Harris
On offense, this improves OL, passing game, and running game. On defense, this could improve the pass rush while maintaining strong run defense and coverage.
That is a contending roster if Hortiz drafts well and they stay reasonably healthy.
@tau837 Tau, after watching the combine and watching more TE film, I don’t think this class is very deep. It’s the top two and then IMO a bunch of JAGs. With this the case, I would much rather sign a better receiving TE in FA (Gesicki, Johnson, Smith, Bryant) as insurance the draft doesn’t present itself with someone viable. Also, are most of these re signs more 1 year deals? Stick can walk. We can draft a developmental QB for way less $$.
@evolz3737 I’m fine with that approach at TE.
No, I don’t think too many of these would be 1 year deals. Something like this, covering everyone I mentioned:
- Slater – extend 5 years with out for team after year 4
- Mack – re-sign for 3 years with out for team after year 2
- Ford – re-sign for 3 years
- Tart – re-sign for 3 years
- Dobbins – re-sign for 3 years
- Bozeman – re-sign for 2 years
- Dye – re-sign for 2 years
- Heinicke – re-sign for 2-3 years
- Scott – re-sign for 3-4 years
- Fisk – re-sign for 1 year
- Smartt – re-sign for 1 year
- Sarell – re-sign for 1 year
- Jefferson – re-sign for 1 year
- Niemann – re-sign for 2 years
- Stick – re-sign for 1 year at veteran minimum
- It is not true that we can draft a developmental QB for “way less $$” and AFAIK he is liked by the coaches and his teammates
- I’m advocating that he ends up on the practice squad, which would make his cap hit negligible
- C Kelly – sign for 3 years with out for team after year 2
- RG Fries – sign for 4-5 years
- OL Mekari – sign for 4-5 years
- WR Adams (assuming he is cut) – sign for 3 years with out for team after year 2
- Veteran starting outside CB – depends on who it is and their age and injury history, but sign for at least 2 years
I didn’t comment on the outs for all of these because many should be low enough APY contracts that it won’t hurt much to move on, given the cap is going to clear $300M per year as soon as next year.
@tau837 I like this approach. For the vet CB are you thinking plug in CB1 type signing (Ward, Murphy, Reed, Davis) or is it more of a CB2/3 type guy (Douglas, Fuller, Hilton)? If it’s the latter then CB could become more of a Rd1 priority.
@evolz3737 I don’t think I would have Hilton on my list, since he is a slot corner. I think the Chargers have the slot covered, between James, Still, and Taylor. (Not that I want Taylor playing a lot, but these were the top 3 in slot snaps last season: James 385, Taylor 311, Still 194.)
I would ideally like a CB1 caliber outside corner. That player would either be Fulton or replace him, with no impact on the utilization of James or Still. Can’t say that for a slot corner.
I heard on the Guilty as Charged podcast that Ward said he won’t play in CA again for personal reasons, so I’m assuming he is not a candidate.
I think Davis, Reed, and Douglas would all be good candidates, but I assume the team has evaluated all of these players.
Some TE candidates not named Warren or Loveland.
https://www.thedraftnetwork.com/2025/02/28/nfl-combine-2025-winners-te
Well after the Combine, I think it is safe to say Zabel is probably a lock 1st rounder and Booker might have slipped a bunch, maybe even to Rd2. Campbell’s short arms could push him down, but Membou and Ratledge were fantastic. I always thought Membou would be taken with a thought to kick him inside, but probably not happening now. Ratledge might have jumped Booker for IOL and might have snuck his way into late Rd1 consideration. I taped every day of the event and watched OL first. Going to watch DL next. Some of their testing was unreal.
Zabel and Wilson, y’all. 👍🏼👍🏼
https://www.si.com/nfl/nfl-combine-day-4-risers–fallers-offensive-linemen
@blue-beers as I expected. 🙂
If we double dip at RB I’d love to see him as a Charger. He’s had some ball security issues but I think they could be fixed.
@buck-melanoma I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up going in the top 100 picks now.
@blue-beers certainly possible. He produced in college too. Tech hasn’t had great teams since Beamer left but they’ve still had some good individual players.
I’d be thrilled to see him as a Charger, but not to the detriment of filling another roster need.
I love the RB class this year but I’ll go on the record as a HELL NO for Omarion Hampton in the first round. I’d rather take like 6 other RBs before him. Just look at the agility and pass drills. Dude projects well as a physical, straight-ahead runner. That’s it.
@unclejammsarmy But it doesn’t seem like Roman cares to incorporate the RB in the passing game. His style could be exactly what they want in the RB, a big back with some breakaway speed that has the ability to get down hill in gap and power. Even with that said, I am not taking a RB in Rd1 in this draft with such a deep class.
@buck-melanoma I’m already on the record as saying I’d take Jeanty if he’s there at 22 but I don’t think he will be. I wouldn’t take any other RB in the 1st.
That said, I think despite the “Deep” class, there will be at least 3 and possibly as many as 5 RBs taken before our pick at 55 and it will probably be getting slim by the time our 3rd roun pick rolls around at 86.
As I mentioned yesterday, Tuten is probably a top 100 – 110 guy now, which means if they wait until the 4th or later, then we’re going to end up with someone like Ollie Gordon or Marks or one of the Michigan guys and I wouldn’t expect any of those guys to be more than a 3rd string out of the gate. I really would like to see some more “juice” at the position than another potential Spiller type of player.
Again, I guess we’ll have some more insight after FA period. A lot of our conversations over the past couple weeks are going to need some revisiting!
@blue-beers I’m on record saying no even to Jeanty at 1.22, but I’d be the first one up and screaming when he rips off a big TD run. Soooooo….color me waffle? lol
@blue-beers I am a West Virginia/ Ohio State fan when it comes to NCAA football and I am a HUGE Big 10 guy, which is why I have a better grasp on those players for my profiles. But while I was watching Wyatt Milum WVU tape vs Kansas State I really liked RB DJ Giddens on KSU. I think he is being underrated in this class and ZI think he could be a good Rd3/4 type player. He might not fit perfectly in a strict gap/power scheme, but Roman mixes up the zone runs as well, so his power and shiftiness can play here.
@evolz3737 He does seem like a Harbaugh type of guy. I wonder if he’ll last to 124 (our 4th round)
@evolz3737 I’m not sure this is necessarily true. I think its a little more personnel dependent than philosophical as he’s used RBs in the pass game in the past when he’s had capable guys. I think last year was more that they didn’t really have a back on the roster who was a very capable receiver. Dobbins actually had his career high in targets and receptions and he was never really known as a much of a receiving back. I also think this was a huge hole in the offense last year and Herbert would’ve benefited tremendously from having a more consistent dump-off option like he’s had most of his career.
But it doesn’t seem like Roman cares to incorporate the RB in the passing game.
@blue-beers I don’t have the #’s in front of me, but I think Ryan might have brought it up in a podcast that RB receptions in SF and Baltimore under Roman were some of the lowest in the league, so I am not 100% convinced it was personnel. I mean didn’t Vidal catch like a 30 yard wheel route TD when he finally got into a game? How do we know he couldn’t do more in the passing game last year?
@evolz3737 Receptions by RBs in Baltimore were low but keep in mind he basically had the same backs (Dobbins, Edwards). In SF, they had Frank Gore who was a bellcow but never did anything on the receiving end under any coordinator. When Roman had LeSean McCoy in Buffalo they used him in the passing game quite a bit.
I do agree that he’s never used them prolifically i.e. 100+ targets (like that one season with Ekeler), but being last in the league doesn’t seem like a good goal either IMO.
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